Messes

Over the last couple of months we have made it a tradition to take grandpa to Costco so we can go shopping, he can get out and we enjoy at great inexpensive lunch. The neat thing is to see how many other people do the exact same thing. I was surprised to see as we pulled up and let grandpa get out that another family, with a handicapped son, did the same thing.

We ended up just sitting at a table that is outside of the actual Costco inside of a mall and enjoy watching people walking around. It shouldn’t be any surprise that grandpa enjoys his hot dog, he asked for seconds and loves to finish all of his very berry sundae each time we go. I know that too often we make such a big deal about going out to fancy places or doing something that is out of the extra ordinary instead of actually enjoying the little things in life that are cheap.

I know as I have read the news and gotten numerous calls that life isn’t great for everyone. I received a call from a pastor friend in San Diego about a family who had just lost their son in a shooting over a girlfriend. As I read the story online it was sad that this happen needlessly. Just as I also have been totally shocked by this horrible incident in Norway that doesn’t make any sense at all. I don't understand how anyone can get their jollies out of blowing people up and then systematically killing teens. I also know that during the summer we go downtown and take cold bottled water and popsicles to the homeless. It isn’t anything profound but does help to give me perspective on the petty things that make me mad about myself or family at times.

I love my dad and enjoy being with him and bugging him at times. He has asked me for a cane for a long time and last week I finally broke down and purchased one for him. He now seems determined to use it and forget about the walker. I was rather ‘stupid’ for not getting this sooner to force him to get out and be more able to use his broken hip leg. He always has a smile and is so thankful for the little things we do together. I will buy him candy and various things from Fresh and Easy and he ends up like a little kid that just got his favorite candy and eat as much as he wants without getting in trouble.

As we sat at the Costco table waiting for Anne I felt the call of nature and got up and made it to the restroom around the corner. Anne had gone to Penny’s to look options for Julie’s birthday, which is coming soon. I could grandpa now wanted to leave and there was no Anne in sight. I asked if he wanted to use the restroom in the mall but he gave me this strange look like no way man. So we waited and Anne showed up.

As we are walking out side and waiting in the heat, yes it was humid and hot, poor grandpa had an accident. I share this not to make fun of grandpa but to beat myself for not being more sensitive and better at understanding his needs. So we made it back to his place, he got cleaned up and changed and then I gave him a shave. He loves being shaved between his beard and his head. I am not too thrilled with seeing grandpa with a baldhead but if that is what he wants that is what he gets. We bought the most expensive fusion type blades because his beard is tough to trim. He loves sitting with a warm towel on his face and then shaving cream plastered all over his face. I slowly get rid of the week old stubble and now he looks like a new man and I feel so much better after he has showered and been shaved.

Yeah, life is full of messes of which some we cause, others are caused by someone else and others are caused with the intention of doing real hurt and damage. My real heart is to be an instrument of God’s grace that is able to clean up someone else’s mess because God has done such an amazing job of working in my life. Yet, I know that as meet different people that I am not always the one who will be able to help but at least I can point them in the right direction.